Real Estate News 02/19/2026

New IRS rules on inherited IRAs are officially in effect, and beneficiaries who don’t plan ahead could face higher taxes or steep penalties.

In The News:

USA Today – “Inherited IRA rules changed. Don't get mired in high taxes, penalties“ (02-18-2026)

“Inheriting money is often welcome, but if it’s a retirement account, beneficiaries need to be aware of new rules effective in 2025 or end up potentially paying a steep penalty to the IRS.”

CNBC –“Trump administration identifies more borrowers eligible for student loan forgiveness, court filing shows ” (02-17-2026)

“The Trump administration identified more than 40,000 borrowers eligible for federal student loan forgiveness in January, according to a recent court filing.”

MASS Live –“What’s the average tax refund for filing season 2026? IRS issues new update” (02-18-2026)

“As of the week ending Feb. 6, 2026, the average federal tax refund issued was $2,290 — up about 10.9% from roughly $2,065 from the same filing period last year, IRS data shows.”

Yahoo Finance –“AI Disruption Fears Slam Real Estate Brokers“ (02-16-2026)

“A Bloomberg report on Wednesday framed the move as part of an "AI scare trade," with the sector selling off as markets priced in the risk that AI could disrupt labor-heavy, fee-based professional services.”

Forbes –“One-Third Of Income Tax Revenue Goes For Interest On Government Debt“ (02-19-2026)

“The Congressional Budget Office’s new 10-year fiscal forecast includes plenty of headlines: The nearly $2 trillion federal budget deficit will grow to more than $3 trillion in a decade. The national debt is now greater than the total output of the entire US economy.”